Portable telecommunication apparatus for controlling an electronic utility device

ABSTRACT

A portable telecommunication apparatus ( 200 ) has a user interface ( 250 ), a programmable controller ( 210 ), a memory ( 220, 230 ) coupled to the controller, and an information access program ( 240 ), such as a WAP browser, which is stored in the memory and is executable by the controller. The information access program provides access for a user to a global information network, such as Internet, through the user interface and a first wireless communication link. The apparatus also has an external device interface ( 260, 262, 264 ) for connecting an external device to the portable telecommunication apparatus over a second communication link. The information access program ( 240 ) allows the user to control the external device through the user interface ( 250 ), the external device interface ( 260, 262, 264 ) and the second communication link.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to portable telecommunication apparatusesof the type comprising an information access program, such as a WAPbrowser, for allowing a user to access a global information network,such as Internet, through a wireless communication link. The inventionalso relates to electronic utility devices of the type which provides afunctionality to a user and which has an external control interface,such as an infrared interface, for remotely controlling thefunctionality of the device.

More specifically, the invention is directed at the use of a portabletelecommunication apparatus with an information access program accordingto the above for accessing, controlling and operating an electronicutility device through the information access program.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

A portable telecommunication apparatus as set out above may for instancebe a mobile or cellular radio telephone for GSM (Global System forMobile Communication) or any other existing mobile telecommunicationssystem. Moreover, an electronic utility device according to the abovemay be an advanced accessory for the mobile telephone, for instance asatellite navigation module (GPS), an FM radio or a digital videocamera.

An electronic utility device according to the above may also be e.g. avideo recorder, a digital camera, a television set, a hifi stereo, or anair conditioner.

The various examples of electronic utility devices given above all havein common that they may normally be operated by a remote control unit,such as an infrared remote control unit, in addition to a local userinterface provided at a control panel of the device itself, such as aset of control buttons and LED indicators. Typically, a separate remotecontrol unit is used for each individual electronic utility device.

Although some infrared remote control units are programmable and maytherefore be adapted for use with several electronic utility devices,the existing approach has several drawbacks. First of all, remotecontrol units have a tendency of disappearing in many homes, especiallyin families where small children are present. Furthermore, the variousremote control units will have to be kept within reach of the intendeduser and will therefore occupy unnecessary storage space on desktops,table surfaces, etc. Moreover, the user interface of a typical remotecontrol unit has a low level of user friendliness; the user interface isrestricted to various small keys or buttons, at best in conjunction witha miniature LCD display. Finally, each type of remote control unit hasits own philosophy behind the layout of the keys, etc, thereby making ithard for users to get familiar with all different types of remotecontrol units.

Other electronic utility devices, such as printers, telefax machines,copying machines, or home appliances such as refrigerators or microwaveovens, are usually not operated-from an infrared control unit. Instead,the user of these devices is restricted to a normally very limited localuser interface, such as a few control buttons and LED indicators,provided at a control panel of the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an easier way ofaccessing, controlling and operating electronic utility devices in astandardized and user-friendly fashion. A second object of the inventionis to drastically reduce the number of required remote control units,specifically so that only one control apparatus is required for a largenumber of electronic utility devices, which may exist in the environmentaround a user. A third object is to provide an opportunity of remotecontrol of electronic utility devices that traditionally are notprovided with such an option. A fourth object is to provide an optionfor various types of electronic utility devices to connect to a globalinformation network, such as the Internet, by using a single type ofcommunication device, namely a portable telecommunication apparatus.

The above objects have been achieved by the inventive understanding thata portable telecommunication apparatus, preferably a cellular ormobile-radio telephone, may be used for controlling various electronicutility devices.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a mobile WAP(Wireless Application Protocol) telephone having a built-in WAP browseris designed to connect via a point-to-point communication link to anelectronic utility device through an accessories interface, such as ashort-range radio link, an infrared link or a serial cable link, whereinthe external utility device is provided with an embedded WAP server andwherein this WAP server is capable of submitting digital informationrelated to the functionality of the external utility device over thepoint-to-point communication link to the WAP browser of the mobiletelephone. The embedded WAP server of the preferred embodiment containsWML (Wireless Markup Language) pages, which are transmitted to the WAPclient of the mobile telephone and are presented to the user. The usermay control the functionality of the external utility device through theuser interface of the mobile telephone and the WAP client.

A solution to the above objects is defined by the appended independentpatent claims. Other features, advantages and objects of the inventionwill appear from the following detailed disclosure of a preferredembodiment, from the appended drawings as well as from the subclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in more detail withreference to the appended drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a mobile WAP telephone, which maybe used for accessing the Internet, for performing traditional mobiletelecommunications service calls (voice, data and fax), and foraccessing, controlling and operating a plurality of electronic utilitydevices,

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a mobile telephone according to apreferred embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an external utility deviceaccording to the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 is intended to illustrate the general inventive concept accordingto the present invention, i.e. that a user of a mobile telephone 1 oranother type of portable telecommunication apparatus will be able toaccess, control and operate a plurality of telephone accessories, homeappliances or other external electronic utility devices 30, 40, 50through a WAP browser built into the mobile telephone. To this end, eachexternal utility device 30, 40, 50 comprises a respective embedded WAPserver, from which the WAP browser of the mobile telephone 1 willreceive encoded WML pages. The pages transmitted from the embedded WAPserver to the mobile telephone 1 represent the services, functionalitiesand applications, which are offered by the respective external utilitydevice 30, 40, 50. As will be described in more detail below, theinformation contents of the WML pages may change dynamically, andmoreover the user may feed back information to the respective externaldevice 30, 40, 50 by e.g. filling in WML forms and pushing theinformation back to the WAP server of the external device 30, 40, 50. Inthis way, the user of the mobile telephone 1 may operate the respectiveexternal device 30, 40, 50 and control the functionality thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile telephone 1 comprises an antenna 10,which in a conventional way is used for connecting the mobile telephone1 to a mobile telecommunications network 21 through a radio link 23. Ina well-known way, the mobile telecommunications network 21, for instanceGSM, offers voice, data and fax call services to the user of the mobiletelephone 1. By means of the antenna 10, the user of a mobile telephone1 may also access the Internet 20, or another global informationnetwork, by using the built-in WAP browser of the mobile telephone 1. Tothis end, graphic information and/or text is presented on a display 13,and a set of cursor navigation keys 14 a are provided in a keypadtogether with a set of ordinary mobile telephone keys 14 b. The lattercomprise e.g. a YES/OK/ANSWER key, a NO/CANCEL/HANG UP key, numeric keys0-9 as well as other character keys, such as * and #.

As is well known, the mobile telephone 1 also comprises a loudspeaker 11and a microphone 12. Moreover, the mobile telephone 1 of the preferredembodiment shown in FIG. 1 comprises an infrared interface 15, such asan IrDA port, by means of which the mobile telephone 1 may be connectedto a first external utility device in the form of a television set 40 inFIG. 1.

The mobile telephone 1 also comprises a system or accessories connector16, by means of which the mobile telephone 1 may be connected, through aserial cable 52 (e.g. RS232) or through direct galvanic contact, to asecond external utility device in the form of a digital camera 50 ofFIG. 1.

The mobile telephone 1 additionally comprises a second antenna 17 forestablishing a short-range radio link 32, such as a Bluetooth link, to athird external utility device in the form of a combinedprinter/fax/copier in FIG. 1.

An essential portion 200 of the mobile telephone 1 is shown in FIG. 2. Acontroller or CPU 210 is coupled to a random access memory 220 and todrivers 250 for the user interface formed by the display 13 and thekeypad 14 a-b. The controller 210 is also connected to a permanentmemory 230 in the form of a flash memory. The flash memory 230 comprisesan operating system 232 as well as an information access program in theform of a WAP client 240, which will be described in more detail below.The mobile telephone also comprises drivers 260, 262 and 264 for theexternal device interfaces 15, 16 and 17 in FIG l. In more detail,driver 260 is an RS232 module for the system or accessories connector16, driver 262 is an IrDA module, and driver 264 is a Bluetooth module.

As shown in FIG. 2, the WAP client 240 comprises a stack of protocols241-246 as well as a datapath selector 248, the purpose of which will bedescribed later. On a first level or top level 241 a WAP browserapplication is provided, which when executed by the controller 210 willform a graphical user interface on the display 13 and allow the user toaccess the embedded WAP servers of the available external utilitydevices 30, 40, 50. A second level 242 is a wireless session protocol.As a third and fourth level, respectively, a wireless transport protocoland a wireless datagram protocol are provided, respectively. Theprotocols 241-244 are all essentially known per se and are not describedin more detail herein.

On a fifth level 245 a respective adaption layer is provided for theserial cable interface 16, 260, the infrared interface 15, 262 and theBluetooth interface 17, 264. The physical layer of the respectiveinterface is provided as a sixth protocol level 246. The adaption layer245 thus adapts the overlying wireless datagram protocol 244 to threedifferent bearers, i.e. cable, infrared and Bluetooth.

Moreover, a GSM layer 245, 246 is also provided, as is generally knownin the field of mobile WAP telephones, for providing the firstcommunication link 22 between the antenna 10 and the Internet 20.

The purpose of the datapath selector 248 is to direct WML requests fromthe WAP browser 241 to either the first communication link 22 (through acircuit-switched GSM data call connection or through SMS-Short MessagesServices), or to the respective external device interface 16, 52, 260(cable), 15, 42, 262 (infrared) and 17, 32, 164 (Bluetooth). In thepreferred embodiment, this differentiation is achieved through a newaddress scheme for the Uniform Resource Identifier (URI)/UniformResource Locator (URL). For instance, when access is to be made acrossthe first communication link 22 to ordinary web sites on the Internet20, the ordinary URI/URL format “http:// . . . ” may be used.Conversely, when any of the external utility devices 30, 40, 50 is to beaccessed, the URI/URL may look like: “local:// . . . ”.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of an essential portion 300 of any ofthe external utility devices shown in FIG. 1, i.e. theprinter/fax/copier 30, the television set 40 or the digital camera 50. Acontroller or CPU 310 is connected to a random access memory 320 and adriver 350 for a local user interface. The local user interface may forinstance be buttons for capturing, deleting or scrolling throughpictures and a miniature LCD display on the digital video camera 50,program selection buttons, volume controls, brightness controls, etc, onthe television set 40, or a telephone number keypad, a start button anda stop button on the printer/fax/copier 30.

The controller 310 is coupled to a non-volatile memory 330, which is aflash memory in the preferred embodiment. The flash memory 330 comprisesan embedded WAP server 340, which will be described in more detailbelow. Finally, the external utility device 300 comprises a remotecontrol interface driver 360, which is coupled to the physical cableconnector of the digital camera 50, to the infrared port of thetelevision set 40 or to the Bluetooth module of the printer/fax/copier30 of FIG. 1.

The WAP server 340 comprises a virtual file system 332, which has thepurpose of storing a plurality of WML pages 338 and, optionally, aplurality of WML scripts in a structured and readable way. The WAPserver 340 also comprises a Server Side Include module 336, whichenables a program developer to insert directives inside the WML code toinstruct the WAP server 340 to replace the directive with a dynamiccontent upon retrieval of the WML code.

The WAP server 340 also comprises a Common Gateway Interface (CGI)module 334 for enabling user input from the WAP client of the mobiletelephone 1 to the WAP server 340 of the external device 300. The CommonGateway Interface module 334 also comprises a set of CGI routines that,when executed by the controller 310, controls a respective aspect orparameter of the functionality provided by the external utility device300. For instance, if the external utility device 300 is a digitalcamera 50, different CGI routines are provided for controlling e.g. thepicture resolution, for scrolling through pictures stored in the camera,for capturing a new picture, for setting date/time, etc.

Moreover, the WAP server 340 comprises a stack of protocols 341-346,which correspond to the stack of protocols 241-246 in the mobiletelephone 200 shown in FIG. 2. At a top level a WAP server applicationprotocol 341 is provided. Then follows a wireless session protocol 342,a wireless transport protocol 343, a wireless datagram protocol 344, anadaption layer for different physical interfaces (cable, infrared orBluetooth) and, finally, a physical interface layer 346. Preferably, theprotocol stack of the WAP server 340 is adapted to all possible bearers,even if only one physical bearer 360 is used (such as either cable,infrared or Bluetooth). This makes it easier to design a genericembedded WAP server 340, which may be used in different external utilitydevices.

The WML contents of the WAP server 340, i.e. the WML pages 338, and,optionally, the WML scripts, are preferably stored as pre-compiledbinary WML files. Alternatively, the contents may be stored asnon-binary WML files, which are encoded into binary WML files by the WAPserver 340 upon request from the WAP client 240 of the mobile telephone1.

The rest of this specification will deal with the use of the mobiletelephone 1/200 of FIG. 2 for controlling the external utility device300 of FIG. 3. Obviously, the user must be able to easily access atleast his/her favorite external utility devices 30, 40, 50 from themobile telephone 1. Preferably, a dynamic menu system is implemented inthe mobile telephone 1, which allows the addition of a short cut menuoption for connecting to a respective external utility device 30, 40,50. Preferably, the external utility devices 30, 40, 50 are designed totransmit an initial sequence of identifying commands to the WAP client240 of the mobile telephone 1/200, when the mobile telephone and theexternal utility device are interconnected.

Thus, useful information such as physical bearer type (cable, infraredor Bluetooth), possibly an address identifier (particularly in the caseof Bluetooth) as well as the name of a WML start page are submitted bythe WAP server 340 to the WAP client 240 upon interconnection of themobile telephone 1/200 and the external utility device 30, 40, 50/300.These parameters are stored together with the respective shortcut in thedynamic menu system of the mobile telephone 1/200. Alternatively, someof the parameters above, particularly the name of the start page, may bestandardized, e.g. “index.wml”. Still another alternative, at least forsome physical bearers, particularly Bluetooth, is that the name of thestart page is retrieved through service discovery.

Three use cases involving the mobile telephone 1 and the digital camera50 will now be described. It is assumed that the digital camera 50 iscapable of producing digital pictures and storing them locally in e.g.the flash memory 330. As described above, the digital camera 50 isconnected through a serial cable 52 to the accessories interface 16 ofthe mobile telephone 1. Obviously, the camera could equally well havebeen connected via an infrared or Bluetooth interface. The digitalcamera 50 is provided with the WAP server 340 shown in FIG. 3.

The mobile telephone 1 is provided, as described above, with the WAPclient 240 shown in FIG. 2. Initially, the user takes a few picturesusing the digital camera 50. The user then connects his/her mobiletelephone 1 to the digital camera 50 by means of the serial cable 52. AWML start page is then transmitted by the WAP server 340 to the WAPclient 240 across the serial cable 52, and the start page is presentedon the display 13. The start page contains a plurality of controls,representing different functions of the digital camera 50. The user mayfor instance choose to view the pictures captured in the digital camera50. The pictures are then sent, one by one, from the WAP server 340 tothe WAP client 240, which presents the pictures on the display 13.

The user may then select one of the pictures, that he/she wants topublish on the Internet 20. The user may specify a certain WAP or webserver available on the Internet by filling in its HTTP (HypertextTransfer Protocol) address in a WML form submitted from the WAP server340. A dial-up GSM data connection 22 (FIG. 1) is established with anInternet service provider, and the WAP browser 240 of the mobiletelephone 1 connects to the specified WAP or web server on the Internet.The selected picture is then sent over the link 22 for publication onthe specified WAP or web server. Finally, the user disconnects thedigital camera 50 from the mobile telephone 1, wherein the logicalconnection between the WAP browser 240 and the WAP server 340 will beinterrupted too, as well as the dial-up connection 22 to the Internet.

In the second use case, the user connects his telephone to the digitalcamera, as described above. The start page from the digital camera ispresented on the display of the telephone. The user then enters amaintenance menu provided by the digital camera. All available settingsfor the digital camera are presented on a WML page submitted by the WAPserver 340. These settings may for instance include the followingfunctionality: capture picture, delete picture, scroll through pictures,resolution setting, color setting, flash mode, date/time settings, etc.The user may then select any setting and change its value. The changedvalue will be pushed back from the WAP client 240 to the WAP server 340according to the methods described above, wherein the WAP server 340will recognize the changed value and make sure that the actual settingof the digital camera 50 is changed accordingly. When the user isfinished, he/she will disconnect the mobile telephone 1 from the digitalcamera 50, as described above.

In a third use case it is assumed that the digital camera has amalfunction. The user notices this and connects the camera 50 to themobile telephone 1, as described above. The WAP server 340 of the camera50 executes a predetermined error diagnosis WML page 338, which in turnsinvokes a CGI routine of the CGI module 334. The CGI routine fetches anerror code from the controller 310, and this error code is submittedtogether with a predetermined HTTP address by the WAP server 340 to theWAP client 240 of the mobile telephone 1. A dial-up GSM data connection22 (FIG. 1) is established with an Internet service provider, asdescribed above. The WAP browser 240 of the mobile telephone 1 connectsto the predetermined HTTP address, which points at a help-desk web siteprovided by the manufacturer or supplier of the digital camera 50. Theerror code is then transferred to the help-desk web site, which willreturn a clear-text message, illustrative image, etc., which explainsthe nature of the error and how it is best dealt with by the user.

The present invention has been described above with reference to apreferred embodiment. However, other embodiments than the one describedabove are equally possible within the scope of the invention, as definedby the appended independent claims, which is readily realized by a manskilled in the art. Specifically, other physical bearers than cable,infrared and short-range radio link are possible within the scope of theinvention. Also, the invention is applicable to other electronic utilitydevices than the ones exemplified above, including but not limited tovideo recorders, hifi stereos, air conditioners, refrigerators ormicrowave ovens.

Moreover, the WAP client of the mobile telephone may be substituted foranother information access program for accessing a global informationnetwork, possibly different than Internet. Correspondingly, the WAPserver of the external utility devices may be substituted for anotherkind of information provider server.

1-6. (Canceled).
 7. An electronic utility device of a type whichprovides a functionality to a user, the device comprising a programmablecontroller, a memory coupled to the controller, and an external controlinterface for remotely controlling the functionality of the device,characterized by an information provider program stored in the memoryand executable by the controller, the information provider being adaptedto communicate with an external portable telecommunication apparatus,through the external control interface, according to at least oneprotocol for accessing a global information network, and being adaptedto supply the portable telecommunication apparatus with digitalinformation, which is stored in the memory and is related to thefunctionality of the device.
 8. An electronic utility device as in claim7, wherein the global information network is the Internet and whereinthe information provider program comprises a WAP server.
 9. Anelectronic utility device as in claim 7, wherein the informationprovider program is adapted to receive control information from theportable telecommunication apparatus through the external controlinterface and is adapted to use the control information for controllingthe functionality of the device.
 10. An electronic utility device as inclaim 7, wherein the digital information stored in the memory comprisesWML files.
 11. An electronic utility device as in claim 7, wherein thedigital information stored in the memory comprises WML scripts.
 12. Anelectronic utility device according to claim 7, wherein the externalcontrol interface is an infrared interface, a serial cable interface, ora short-range radio interface. 13-16 (Canceled).
 17. A method foroperating electronic utility device including a programmable controller,a memory coupled to the controller, and an external control interfacefor remotely controlling the functionality of the device, comprising:storing an information provider program in the memory; the controllerexecuting the stored program to communicate with an external portabletelecommunication apparatus through the external control interfaceaccording to at least one protocol for accessing a global informationnetwork; and the controller executing the stored program to supply theportable telecommunication apparatus with digital information stored inthe memory related to the functionality of the device.
 18. The method inclaim 17, wherein the global information network is the Internet andwherein the information provider program comprises a WAP server.
 19. Themethod in claim 17 wherein the controller receives control informationfrom the portable telecommunication apparatus through the externalcontrol interface and uses the control information for controllingfunctionality of the device.
 20. The method in claim 17, wherein thedigital information stored in the memory comprises WML files.
 21. (New)the method in claim 17, wherein the digital information stored in thememory comprises WML scripts.
 22. The method in claim 17, wherein theexternal control interface is an infrared interface, a serial cableinterface, or a short-range radio interface.